Apples and Saltand probably Wasabi
by walaakongkwenta
Summary: Kikumaru Eiji was going to visit Fuji Syuusuke and he brought with him some apples. He came across Tezuka Kunimitsu and the latter suggested salt. The acrobat had other things in mind though...


**A/N: I have a certain way of eating apples. That is why I can't eat them just anywhere. Hehe.**

**Disclaimer: You would not see me here had I owned Tennis no Oujisama…or probably you would, just for the heck of it. Don't sue me.**

**APPLES AND SALT… AND PROBABLY WASABI**

Eiji Kikumaru whistled as he walked along the busy streets of the Tokyo Market. He was going to visit his tensai friend and he wondered what things he could buy. Whenever Fuji visited Kikumaru's residence, he made sure he brought something even if he was just going to return a book or share some library information. It would not look good if Eiji would not bring even a bouquet of flowers for Yumiko or Fuji's mother.

He was still whistling when he got to a fruit stand. He scanned the fruits available. Green apples. He knew since first year that Syuusuke loved apples but he was not sure if he liked red or green apples. He did not bother to ask. The last thing Eiji Kikumaru wanted was to be a stalker of his own classmate. It is natural to pick up habits of friends from time to time but to observe them with open interest is a creepy thing that only Inui Sadaharu would do. Eiji asked the vendor to give him a half kilo of green apples and another half of the red ones.

After buying, he went to the bus station and waited. The bus was taking a long time as usual when people desperately wanted it to come earlier. Kikumaru let a sigh escape from his lips. That was when he saw a familiar figure.

"T-tezuka!"

Always on guard, Tezuka looked at Kikumaru. The first was expecting the latter to glomp him, the latter was expecting the first to help him with his things.

"Nande Tezuka...where are you going?"

"Fuji's house. I will return his book."

"Ah…" was Kikumaru Eiji's response, in the middle of deciding whether or not to tell his captain that they were heading towards the same direction. After much consideration, he finally spitted it out. "I'm going there too, nya."

"Studying?"

"Hmm…You can call it that, nya."

They let some minutes pass in silence. It was natural for Tezuka to do that. For Eiji, it was expected. They had hardly talked in the past. And if they had, they only talked about tennis, school, Fuji, tennis, school, time, tennis, Fuji, school, Oishi, tennis, team.

It was not as if Eiji had not tried. It was just Tezuka chose to make himself distant and Eiji was not the one who would push himself to people who did not want to be bothered-Echizen was an exception.

_Should I volunteer to return the book to Fuji? Demo, Tezuka may say something important to him…if he would just return the book, and leave, wouldn't he be wasting his time? Nya…he would probably talk with Fuji. Ar-re? Wouldn't I look like just a bother in their conversation? Demo, it's unfair, hoi. Fuji told me I can stay over their house for the weekend though…Kami-sama, onegai onegai, let Tezuka have a more important business to attend to, nya…I don't want to feel out of place…Nya, Kikumaru Eiji…that was a cruel thing to say!_

One approaching bus honked its horn and disturbed Eiji's thoughts. The boy prepared himself to launch at the door once it stopped. That was when he saw Tezuka finishing a call with someone. Shaking his insecurities, he glomped his captain and directed him nearer to the edge of the bus stop.

"Kikumaru, can you do me a favour?"

"Hm? Nani?"

"Can you stop glomping me?"

The red-head acrobatic turned to stone and put his arm down. But before he could retaliate, Tezuka continued, "That was not the favor. I wonder if you can just return Fuji's book for me. I have a more important business to attend to."

"A—a-re?" he exclaimed. _Kami-sama, I was only kidding._

However, Tezuka Kunimitsu was far from kidding as he handed out the book to Eiji. "Please express my gratitude to Fuji. Arigatou, Kikumaru."

The bespectacled boy nodded his head as a sign of leaving but returned immediately as if remembering something. "Maybe you can add salt to your purchase."

"Eh?"

"Those apples are for Fuji right? He likes them with salt."

"Ah…right."

With that, the captain left Eiji feeling more forlorn. The acrobatic was torn between feeling grateful that Tezuka had reminded him of Fuji's uncommon tastes or _feeling grateful_ that Tezuka would not be coming to Fuji's house.

He boarded the bus and sat at end, isolated from the rest of the passengers. He put his packages beside him and stared out the window. Right. How many times should he feel that he was not thought of as Fuji Syuusuke's best friend and that he did not know anything about the tensai more than the buchou did? Last time, when the regulars were asked out of the blue who they considered their best friends were, he immediately said Fuji and the non-regulars were astounded. They had been expecting him to say Oishi. Oishi was good enough to explain that Fuji and Eiji had known each other longer, and that they were classmates. Fuji on the other hand just answered with a "Hai." Eiji was not sure if it meant being his best friend or knowing each other longer and being classmates.

It was as if he, Kikumaru Eiji was not worth it to be the prodigy's best friend.

Realizing all of these made him sad.

When he got to his bus stop, he half-dragged himself to Fuji's house. He even almost missed the house itself as he was still busy reviewing his thoughts. As he went back, he tried to compose himself. He would not be a burden to Fuji this weekend. That was not part of the plan. He pushed the door bell button.

"Nanjaro hoi hoi," he cheerfully greeted Fuji as the latter opened the door to receive him. The tensai was not smiling though. His eyes were open and in a second, Eiji found himself in a general check up.

"Aren't you feeling well?"

"Daijobou. Mou, Fujiko, why are you so alarmed?"

"You are less cheerful. Do you have a problem?"

"Iie, betsuni, nya."

Fuji stared at Eiji for a few more seconds before closing his eyes. "If you say so. Come inside."

Eiji immediately followed his classmate and went directly to the kitchen, while Fuji excused himself to go to Yuuta's room and get a DVD. As usual the house was empty. No matter how many times Eiji visited that residence, he could not get used to the hollow feeling of the house. His own house was always so raucous, so full of people.

He carefully laid his packages on the counter. He washed the apples, cut them to quarters and placed them in a huge bowl. Grumbling a little, he decided to follow Tezuka's suggestion. He got a saucer and put a small amount of salt on it. He was about to bring everything in the living room when he remembered something. He found the very thing he was looking for just in time that Fuji announced everything was ready for their DVD marathon. He skipped his way to the living room carrying the apples.

He dipped one piece, approached the tensai and without a word, pushed it to the latter's lips. He was anxiously waiting for a reaction, waiting if indeed it was true that Fuji liked putting salt on his apple.

A little bit surprised, the smaller boy munched the apple, "Arigatou, Eiji."

_Well, that was a surprise. He looks natural…sasuga Fuji, nya. He remains non-committal_.

They started watching animations first. It was about a young shaman, fighting for his friend who was captured by a necromancer.*

After a while, Fuji was startled when he heard his friend sniffing. When he turned he saw an Eiji Kikumaru who was drenched in tears—or was that sweat?—and literally red in the face. "E-eiji? Is there something wrong?" He cast his eyes on the animation again. It was far from being poignant. "Eiji? Tell me."

Still sniffing, Kikumaru pulled out a bottle from his pants. Fuji read the label. Wasabi. Eiji was eating apples with wasabi.

Fuji snorted, trying to keep his laughter at bay. He did not want to inflict more damage to his friend who was obviously out of his mind. He immediately went to the kitchen and prepared sweet tea for the redhead.

Eiji drank it all in one gulp. It seemed to have lessened the pain since his red face turned lighter.

"Saa, Eiji, what made you decide to eat apples with wasabi?" Fuji asked as he patted Eiji's back.

"I just want to know what you feel when you eat spicy things, hoi. Cough cough…you used to like eating apples with wasabi."

Fuji's hand lost its rhythm for a moment as the tensai got his serious look on. "You can remember that…demo…do you also remember that you told me it was a weird combination…"

"Nya, mengo mengo Fujiko! I didn't mean for you to stop eating that way!" Eiji was clearly bothered and was indeed sincere when he pleaded for forgiveness. Then he muttered as an afterthought, "And I thought you wouldn't take me seriously."

"Saa…" _Eiji, what is bothering you? What made you insecure like this?_

He stood up and stopped the DVD. He looked for a less serious one, something that could make the dampen spirits of his friend rise up. Should they play Pokemon games? Eiji was very fond of them.

"A-awhile ago, I met Tezuka."

_So that was it, huh._ "I know."

"Eh?"

"I called him to say that you will be coming and staying over the weekend," Fuji answered to the wordless question. He cast a look over his shoulder and continued, "Ne, Eiji…You would not want me to talk with another person when you're around right?"

Eiji looked at him. Everything came back in a flash (maybe that was why it was called flash back in the first place). He remembered seeing Tezuka finish a phone conversation before he gave him the book to return. He also remembered him saying he had a more important business to attend to. He remembered seeing Fuji's eyes wide with concern as he led him to the house. Had not Fuji just mentioned that he could still remember what one Kikumaru Eiji had had told him several months, iie, one and a half year ago? Aside from that there were small, seemingly insignificant things that they had shared that looked so important now like homework, pranks, tennis practices, toothpaste sharing…things that had been overlooked. Didn't he have enough proof already that friendship need not to be flashy?

There was a sound of chair stumbling and shuffle of feet but before the tensai could turn to look what had caused the disturbance, he was hugged by a pair of lean arms. A mop of red hair was on his shoulder. "Fuji Syuusuke…arigatou."

The tensai opened his eyes and smiled. He patted the red head. "Hai."

It took everything Eiji had to stop himself from crying before he felt the tensai turn in his arms and return his embrace. Like the honest person that he was, he poured his heart out, his insecurities, his thoughts, his realizations.

It would take a long while before Eiji could get used to having a seemingly non-committal friend. He was just hoping that Fuji Syuusuke would not take an eternity before he would realize that he was being one. Demo, Kikumaru Eiji could get the hang of it. Probably just like apples and wasabi. Sure it would hurt. Sure it was unusual. No one could not deny though that it was a combination worth remembering.

**More A/N: I haven't tried putting wasabi on apples but I sure like them with salt. I thought it would be good to share a certain addiction through Fuji. **

***The animation is Shaman King. **

**Zannen Munen Mataraishu! (or if another inspiration kicks in, maybe you'll see me again this week).**


End file.
